Scattering of Light
Scattering of Light: Overview
This topic covers concepts, such as, Scattering of Light, Tyndall Effect, Colour of Sky in Daytime, Colour of Sky at Sunrise & Colour of Sky at Sunset etc.
Important Questions on Scattering of Light
The danger signals installed at the top of tall buildings are red in colour. These can be easily seen from a distance because among all other colours, the red light
Read the passage and answer the questions below.
We know that the white light is actually a combination of seven different colours of light. These are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. All these colours together are called a natural spectrum. A natural spectrum is formed when light scatters at different wavelengths in the atmosphere. These colours are clearly visible when a rainbow is formed. So, if there are seven colours in white light, why does the sky appear mostly blue? Let us understand the reason behind this. Light travels in the form of waves. Blue light has a short wavelength and red light has a long wavelength.
An English physicist, John William Strutt Lord Rayleigh(1842-1919) explained that lights of different wavelengths get scattered when they hit the molecules of hydrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere. Owing to its shorter wavelength, the blue-coloured light gets scattered more than the red one. As such the sky appears blue.
How does light get scattered?Red and yellow have a longer wavelength than blue.
Which of the following colours of light are scattered more in the atmosphere?
